Imagine that Skankin Pickle got in on the folk-punk/bluegrass thing that’s going around these days-now keep that image in your head-its pretty much The Fun Police. Honestly. The Fun Police have the same lively, occasionally funky, reggae-punk sound. But don’t take my word for it, go check out their Band Camp or their Facebook and have a merry ol’ time. The Fun Police have just released their second full length “Clown Control,” you can get that for dirt cheap off of their Last Fm, or you can download a free EP HERE.

Sunday Februrary 19th there will be a Free All-Ages Hardcore Punk Show. If you’re not down to party on a sunday night, well..then you’re just not down to party. Luckily this show starts relatively early with doors opening at 6:30pm. So even the responsible ones among you will be able to attend.

From what I’ve heard of these bands; this show should be standard punk. So grab your leather jacket with the studs, pre-game with a 40 in hand, and get ready to throw your body weight against complete strangers. On Sunday the 19th, it’s on.

(Print it out and pass it around)

Though this is a free show, I highly suggest bringing donations to help support both the local and touring bands. I don’t know the house rules for the venue, but I would assume that they are something along the lines of “enjoy the music, respect the house, and don’t be a dick”.

Need help getting to the venue? How about a little help from THE INTERNET.

Personally, I plan on attending this show and writing some post-show jibber-jabber. So, there’s always that to look forward to. Once again, if you have any opinions or information about these bands or this show; then don’t hesitate to tell us in a comment.

To quote Darion Conwell: “enjoy the music, respect the house, and don’t be a dick.” Fun story there, almost got kicked out of this house for being a dick. Not really my fault, I got that they wanted me to be pushing people, I didn’t choose to continue getting pushed by other people, per-say.

Anyways, I’ve already talked about white wards in a past post so I won’t re-engage ranting, but I am quite a fan. You can download their 7″ here. Likewise if you’re into death metal or hardcore thrash death, Bone Sickness is just fucking dandy to see live. I’ve never seen the other two bands, so out of laziness I’m not going to write anything, but fuck it go anyways. I command you, all twenty-six people who may ever read this.

This coming Friday at 9pm, the Oly Music Awards is putting on a pre-show to help showcase some good local bands. If you’re interested in local music, then this isn’t an event you want to miss. At some point after the pre-show, there will be an award ceremony to honor local bands. See more info at OlyMusicAwards.com

From what I’ve listened to of “Fight for Change” and “Elbow Coulee”, I would very much enjoy seeing them live. As for “Jabi Shriki”, well… he’s not exactly my genre. I had trouble finding information about the band “Point Process” online, but if I find out about the genre or find a sample of their work then I will go back and post it here. In the meantime if you know something about Point Process or any of these other bands, then please tell us.

(Print it out and share it around)

^ Look at all of those sponsors! I’m hoping to make it to this event, however if I don’t then perhaps one of our other writers would be willing to write a little blurb about it.

About the venue: I’m a big fan of Le Voyeur Cafe. Though I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, I still enjoy stopping by for a tasty sandwich when I’m out and about. The cafe also doubles as a venue for all kinds of music (except metal…not to say that they exclude metal, I’ve just never seen it there). Expect a slightly intimate show because the venue space is kind of small. Most of the shows I’ve seen at Le Voyeur have been rap, hip-hop, or electronica, so this should be a treat.

Another show at The Swamp House. This one is coming up quick! If you’re looking for something to do friday night, why not stop by and show your support for these fine bands?

Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to this show (friday 13th I’ll be out searching for Templar Gold), but if you attend; please comment and give your opinions about the show. I do not know much about these bands, however I’ve listened to what they have available online and I can comfortably say that I like what I hear.

How about checking out “Mas Sol Collective Presents:Body of Art “ at The Aqua House. It promises to be night oh much art and Thalo for only a $5 *suggested* donation. Body art provided by Olympia’s very talented Ariana Throne and a team of make up, henna and hair artists.

Once again, I know virtually nothing about these artists/ DJs. I trust the Mas Sol Collective crowd, though. They put on a good show. However, If you have sampled their beats in the past then shoot us a comment and help fill our knowledge gap.

Sadly, these two shows are occurring at the same time, so you might need to make a decision between the two. Worst case scenario, you can see the show at The Swamp House and catch the last couple artists at The Aqua House.

UPDATE:

Sorry, I seem to have read the details wrong about the Mas Sol Collective show. I mentioned earlier that it was at the Midnight Sun, it is in fact at The Aqua House. The details above have been changed to reflect this.

Sensitive Bearded Guys. Formerly known as The New Wave Discount Party Band (stone cold hits interspersed with dissonance).

I have been looking forward to seeing Meowtain after listening to their EP a few weeks ago (here is a link to one of their songs). As for the other bands, sadly I do not know anything about them; and cannot find them online. If you have insight into these bands, please post a comment and share your knowledge with us. Otherwise, you can read my post-show jibber-jabber which will be posted at a later date.

(Click the flyer to see the full sized image. Then print it out and pass it around!)

The venue is somewhat small, but the music carries through the house and outside where you have the opportunity to hang out with interesting people, and still keep an ear on the music. A cover-charge has not been announced, so it’s safe to say that this is a completely free show. The Swamp House allows smoking and drinking, however drinking should be responsible, and smoking should be contained to the porch ares and awesome Teepee that is provided. As far as I know, the general rules are: Don’t be an asshole, and enjoy the music.

You can show a little love for this local show on facebook by attending, or whoring out the event page: SOCIAL NETWORKING LINK!

Rarely has there been a band that has disappointed me. There have been bad albums, poor career choices, and “selling out”, but I’m a forgiving listener, and I hand out pardons where they are deserved. But now, someone has gone too far.

Today I have been exposed to something so heinous, so fowl, that I still feel physically ill thinking about it. My hero, my favorite singer/songwriter of all time, has gone to the Dark Side; And to him I say: “Ben Gibbard, what the FUCK?”

FACEPALM

What I’m referring to is the EP “Codes and Keys” recently released by none other than Death Cab for Cutie. Now mainstream indie kingpins, they were once just the little group from Bellingham that sang in small clubs and captured the hearts of many. This album of “dance remixes” sounds like someone threw the once beautiful sounds the band makes through a wood chipper time portal. There are cowbells, kitschy snare beats, and repetitive stuttering at the beginning of phrases. One song, “Underneath the Sycamore Tree,” remixed by the (surely) renowned Dillon Francis, is like “Party Rock Anthem” vomited all over indie music. I’m reminded forcibly of Skrillex.

WHY? WHY? NO! PLEASE! is all that goes through my head as I listen to these remixes. I’m so disappointed in my idol. I feel like he was approached to do the deal, heard the dinging cash register noises in the background, and signed the deal without even listening to the songs or approving the artists set to do the deed.

I am not alone in my opinion of this album, either. Evan Sawdey (writer for PopMatters) had the following to say: “this is the sound of Death Cab at their most generic, disjointed, and disinterested. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but the truth is this: Codes & Keys is the worst album of their career”.

What happened to Ben Gibbard? Surely there is not a single touch of his art in these sad, mangled songs…

I refuse to even rate this album on a scale of 1-5.

This album receives a rating of NEGATIVE TWO, and a drop in the nearest nasty trash bin.

Half-way through December we bring you another post about something! Here’s four bands from Olympia you should probably at least see live, if not listen to in your spare time. Trust me. I have a blog/spare time.

If you enjoy punk, metal, indie, hardcore, some combination of them all, or music from your own town, go ahead and listen. It’s all from Olympia, WA, hence the post´s title. It’s clever, work with me.

Christan Mistress

Get their shit here. I’d write a longer description, but just listen to the damn songs, its great. If you like metal.

Gun Outfit

Its pretty. Kind of sounds like if Gibby Haynes had formed Modest Mouse with Caroline Keith and every so often they played a punk song. For the sake of clarity, Caroline Keith is actually the singer/songwriter for Gun Outfit, Gibby Haynes is the singer for the Butthole Surfers, whose voice I just likened to Dylan Sharp, the other singer/songwriter for Gun Outfit…anyway, check out their lastfm page. GO!

Tartarus

OK- So the recording quality isn’t amazing, but these guys are disturbingly talented live. I mean really, all of them can fucking shred. I recommend you look em up here and be sure to catch ´em live when you can, finally got myself there in October and it was epic. So really, go so, see them, enjoy.

Go Get The Scissors

These guys had a following in Olympia once upon a time when I was about thirteen. Regardless they’re still great, but as far as I know pretty have much stopped existing. Guess when suddenly the whole scene was either hardcore or christian post-punk there just wasn’t room for ´em. Either way I enjoy it, and thus my taste is inflicted onto you.

“FAST SONGS ABOUT FUCKING”

In the spirit of what can only be called a really over-played joke, here’s five loud-fast songs about fucking, all of them ninety seconds or less. Listener discretion advised (I am really mature):

1. Kamikaze Sex Pilots – Alien Sex Fiend

Straight out of Tacoma, Washington, Kamikaze Sex Pilots are probably one of the only ska-punk bands that have ever existed in the northwest. Really unexpectedly good bass breakdowns. Amazingly nice guys. They played in Olympia Wa a few times, if you missed them you probably can never say that you’ve lived a full life.

Pretty damn clear. By the way if you remotely like this song and you don’t already know this; Jeff Rosenstock, the front man for ASOB is also the front man of a (in my opinion) much cooler project known only as Bomb the Music Industry. Living up to their name, you can download all of their music for free off of their website here.

Pretty sure that ever since American Hardcore came out, everybody and their mom (esp. if your mom was a punk in the 80s, because it’s been that long) knows who Bad Brains are. If you don’t, consider this an important introduction. If you do and you’ve heard this song before, enjoy a slightly different recording of it! Also if you feel like it torrent American Hardcore, keep in mind its owned by Sony Pictures.

Yep. Fuck you I like NoFX, I’m sorry. Anyway they’re coming to The King Cat in Seattle on January 24th, I’ll be there. I’d also go to the one at the Roseland in Portland, but not legally allowed to leave the state yet, so go in my honor. More information about NoFX tour here.

Yep.

So there ya go. Some really high-brow stuff here. By the way, if you like any of these Top Five posts and/or want any of the songs for some reason, you might want to read our post here about how to download streaming music. It’s not perfect, doesn’t work for every website anymore, but it has its successes, certainly useful if you’re technologically impotent.

Imagine if you will, if the Adolescents and Josie And The Pussycats got hammered, and had a crazy night of wild unprotected sex in the romantic confines of a Motel 6. Well now that this image has left your head, you can finally understand the kickass love child of this unexpected union that is TacocaT.

I had the pleasure of seeing these folks a few years back with Schoolyard Heroes, a band who I disdain with a seething passion, (but that’s for a different time). Anyhoo, Tacocat mesmerized me and those around me with an up-beat poppy post-punk style, that just makes you want to love and dance, kinda like an audio Hippy-Flip. Besides being supportive of dyslexia; TacocaT just warps you back to a simpler time of Freshman year. A time when you only want to go to first base, when you’re saving for that sick volcano, when you’re living in your parents basement, and when you’re really high and realize Jack Black was in the movie Waterworld. To top it all off, if you look at the picture above, there’s another surprise….Twins!

So by combining twins, fun, and slightly demented teen punk-pop, we find that TacocaT really is a truly riveting band, straight from Seattle who you all should hear, see, and feel. They receive an A for automatically ass-kicking.